Service quality is a very important aspect of the water and sewerage industry. Empirical studies have tended to focus on production costs, without explicitly introducing key dimensions of quality. Using data from the Peruvian water sector (1996–2001), this study examines how the introduction of quality variables affects performance comparisons across utilities. The research presents different specifications of stochastic cost frontier models to illustrate how quality can be incorporated into benchmarking studies.

Service quality is a very important aspect of the water and sewerage industry. Empirical studies have tended to focus on production costs, without explicitly introducing key dimensions of quality. Using data from the Peruvian water sector (1996–2001), this study examines how the introduction of quality variables affects performance comparisons across utilities. The research presents different specifications of stochastic cost frontier models to illustrate how quality can be incorporated into benchmarking studies.

-

dc.language

eng

en_US

dc.publisher

Elsevier. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09571787

-

dc.relation.ispartof

Utilities Policy

en_US

dc.rights

Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License

-

dc.rights

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Utilities Policy. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in PUBLICATION, [VOL 13, ISSUE 3, (2005)] DOI 10.1016/j.jup.2005.04.002

-

dc.subject

Water sector

-

dc.subject

Service quality

-

dc.subject

Stochastic frontier models

-

dc.title

Service quality and prospects for benchmarking: Evidence from the Peru water sector